Old Maid
by Qym
Summary: Chelsea is turning thirty and Raven has the perfect present -- or so she hopes. Do childhood promises still hold value with age? Chrave.
1. Birthday Surprises

Inspiration finally struck me again. After a dry period of about two months. Not a spot too soon, I do say. So here we go again. This is a prelude, I suppose. Just a taste of what's coming.

Title: Old Maid

Chapter One: Birthday Surprises

Pairing: Chrave (Chelsea/Raven)

Warnings: The obvious homosexual relationship between two consenting adults. Eventual sexual content.

-0-0-0-

She stared at her reflection in the mirror, twisting the lacy hem of her dress between her fingers. The dress was her own design, of course, and was made to her exact specifications. She'd only dreamt of this day for thirteen years -- thirteen long, heartache-filled years. But now that the day had finally arrived, she was feeling a mixture of emotions she wouldn't have thought possible. There was, of course, happiness coursing through her body, and the proper level of adrenaline befitting the occasion; but there was also fear, anxiety, and hesitancy.

The ever-important box was on the counter top next to her -- there was no way she could forget that, or the evening would be ruined. Once her appearance was satisfactory (not a hair out of place, or a smudge of makeup out of line), she fingered the velvet of the small box, a small smile on her lips. She held it almost reverently, gazing at the maroon fabric for several moments before safely depositing it in her purse. It was impossible to guess that it was inside her purse, as the purse was large and bulky, but she could feel its presence.

Fifteen 'til seven and she was out the door. She revved the engine of her periwinkle blue Prius and practically zoomed out of the parking garage attached to her apartment building. Five 'til seven and she was at another door, hand raised to prod the doorbell. Before she could act, though, the door swung open and she was greeted with the most beautiful sight she could imagine.

"Rae, gimme a minute, 'kay? I just need let Prince Albert outside one last time." Chelsea flustered past Raven, a leash in her hands.

Raven watched her best friend hurry out to the sidewalk, a collie dog on the other end of the leash. Chelsea was decked out in a light evening gown, a light green dress with thin spaghetti straps made out a silky material. Trying to keep her eyes from scanning Chelsea up and down repeatedly, Raven chose instead to look at the doorframe as patiently as she could. Eventually Chelsea brushed past again, pushing her dog into the townhouse, and locking the door behind her.

"So, what's for dinner?" She questioned, smiling not just with her lips, but with her eyes as well.

"It's a special day, Chelsea, so you get a special meal." Raven baited her best friend, not wanting to give away the surprise so easily.

"It's not special," Chelsea argued, "It happens every year."

"You turn thirty every year??" Raven gasped in false surprise, "So that's the secret to staying young. Girl, why didn't you tell me?"

Chelsea rolled her eyes, "No, silly, I have a birthday every year, duh."

"This is a special one." Raven grew more serious. "I'm sure you'll figure out the restaurant before long."

They reached Raven's car and Raven held the door open for her dinner date with a bow. Chelsea giggled and settled herself into the vehicle, tucking her dress under her knees delicately. Nodding her approval, Raven hurried to the driver's side.

"Good thinkin'… wouldn't want you to flash the paparazzi." Raven joked, starting the engine.

"Just promise me," Chelsea fiddled with the radio, "Promise me -- no French food."

"Scout's honor." Raven returned. Pulling out onto the street, she started them on their way. "I'll give you a hint. It's not sushi, either."

Chelsea sighed with relief, "Gives me indigestion. And no Indonesian. I had that for lunch…"

Raven's eyes narrowed slightly; she checked her rear view mirror, "Hmm?"

"Yeah, I had a bit of a… lunch date."

Even with her distraction, Raven couldn't miss the sparkle in Chelsea's eyes. "Oh?"

Chelsea shook her head, "Can we not talk about it?"

Sealing her lips with a finger, Raven turned her attention back to the road. Either the date was special and Chelsea didn't want to jinx it, or it was just that bad. Raven wasn't sure she wanted to know which it was.

The car ride wasn't overly chatty, nor awkwardly quiet. It had the feeling of years of practice and Raven wouldn't trade that feeling for anything in the world. When the car slipped into a parking spot, Raven spread her arms.

"I give you Incanto! Restaurant and Wine Bar!"

Chelsea clapped her hands childishly, "I love Italian!"

Once they were seated inside, Raven grabbed the menu with gusto. She'd been too nervous earlier to eat properly, so her appetite was ravenous. Over the top of her menu, she watched Chelsea's eyes as they scanned the menu as well. When the waiter approached, she ordered a bottle of red wine, not bothering to ask Chelsea's opinion -- she knew what her girl liked after some twenty-five years of close friendship.

"So thirty years." Raven pursed her lips and nodded slowly, "You don't look a day over fifteen, darling."

"Who would have thought, thirty years old, the both of us, and still hanging out like we're carefree teenagers." Chelsea sighed thoughtfully.

"I don' know about you, girl, but my teenage years were so not carefree." Raven riposted.

"Mm, I guess not. I think all my troubles came from you and your you-know-whats." Chelsea waggled her eyebrows.

"You didn't have to participate," Raven sniffed disdainfully. "I coulda handled it all on my own."

"You say that now, huh?" Chelsea greatly enjoyed their playful banter. She'd never met anyone else that she could joke so freely with. "You didn't seem to mind my help that time when --"

"Whoa, Chelsea, we don't talk about that anymore." Raven cut her off with a snap of her fingers.

Chelsea chuckled, "Thank you for taking me to dinner tonight. I'm happy you still like me after all these years."

"Chels, I love you after all these years."

"Aw, Rae, that's sweet." Chelsea rested her head on her palms, elbows on the table. "I love you, too."

"So did the office do anything for your birthday?"

Chelsea shrugged, "The usual small cake, off-tune singing, and the celebratory beer."

While Raven was still nose-deep in fashion, Chelsea had changed her mind in college about her career. She'd started off in political science and biology, determined to bring the world's plight to the government, but found her calling in the more in-depth biology. Switching her major to bio-chemistry, she delved into pharmaceuticals. She worked for a large company, trying to find cheaper ways to create effective medicines. It was her personal goal to be able to produce effective medicine that any person in the world could easily afford.

"So what was that about a lunch date?" Raven couldn't help herself but pry.

Chelsea fought back her blush. "I met this guy, Steve, the other night at the bowling alley."

Raven hid her hands beneath the table so that they didn't start tapping impatiently on the surface. "And?"

"We had a drink, we hit it off." Chelsea shrugged, "He's a nice guy, good sense of humor, biceps that are to die for, you know."

"And?" Hating that her voice nearly cracked, Raven took a sip of ice water, trying to cover it up.

"Well, he wanted to celebrate my birthday, too. So we went out to a restaurant with ethnic food I'd never tried before. It was sweet of him."

"Are you… well, is he…"

"I think he might be a keeper," Chelsea beamed, "I wasn't going to say anything for a while, though. I'd hate to sing his praises too early, right, before I find out all his dirty little secrets."

"I see." Raven tried to smile. She suddenly wished that the box in her purse would just disappear.

"I want to talk about you, though, not him. I talked about him with him earlier. How's life?" Chelsea smoothly changed the subject, sensing Raven's odd discomfort.

The rest of dinner went well and dessert was, as Chelsea exclaimed, scrumdiddlyumptious. It was over dessert that the subject of presents came up, and Raven's mood went down.

"So what did you get me this year?" Chelsea demanded playfully, "Not a car, right?"

"Look, Chelsea, I need to get you a different gift. The one I have… it doesn't work anymore."

"It doesn't… work?" Chelsea tilted her head, "Try me."

Unwilling to fight it any longer, Raven reached into her purse and slid the box across the table. Chelsea opened it, astonished at the shiny engagement ring inside it. Her mouth opened wordlessly, then shut with a click. Eyes misting, she swallowed audibly, unable to speak.

"You remember don't you?" Raven asked, voice low. "That summer when we were seventeen…"


	2. Drowning

Sorry this wasn't up as soon as I hoped it would be. I'm still getting my thoughts cleared up about this. I know where I want the story to go. It's just easing the story there the right way that's got me worried.

I'm probably messing with the canon-facts, but I do as I please…

Title: Old Maid

Chapter Two: Drowning

Pairing: Chrave (Chelsea/Raven)

Warnings: The obvious homosexual relationship between two consenting adults. Eventual sexual content.

-0-0-0-

_Thirteen Years Previous_

Raven's nose was atypically buried in a book -- _The Devil Wears Prada_, to be exact -- on the Sunday afternoon when it started. So involved with the story was she that she didn't quite notice the door to her bedroom swinging open. What alerted her to the invasion was the shuffling footsteps across her rug. Placing a bookmark against the pages, she raised her eyes across the book's bindings.

"Chels! I wasn't expectin' you 'til later, girl!" She crowed cheerfully. "What up?"

Chelsea gazed at her with the expression of a seven year old whose cat had just been flattened by a semi-truck. "My parents…"

Raven waited patiently for the end of the sentence. "Are moving to Guam?"

Chelsea shook her head. "No. They're…"

Moments passed in silence.

"Getting you a puppy?"

That evoked a small smile, "I wish."

"Chelsea, girl, you gotta help me out a little here. I may be psychic, but I ain't no mind reader." Raven gently chastised her best friend.

"They're getting a divorce." Chelsea managed to whisper.

"Oh, Chelsea." Raven murmured, holding her arms open for a hug. Chelsea finished her shuffle across the room and fell into Raven's grasp. She buried her head in Raven's shoulder, relaxing in the proximity of the person she trusted most in life, second only to her parents. "You'll get through this, girl. It's not like you'll never see one of them ever again."

"Rae, you don't understand." Chelsea's breath was warm on Raven's exposed skin.

"Divorce happens to everyone," Raven replied, rubbing small circles in Chelsea's back. "Don't worry. It's better that they break, especially if they can't resolve their problems. What good would it do, forcing them to cohabitate? They might snap and hurt one another."

"It just… it doesn't happen to my family, okay?"

When a drop of warm liquid hit her shoulder, Raven tightened her arms around Chelsea and fell silent. She wasn't sure what Chelsea needed to hear. She didn't seem to respond to cheery, understanding optimism, and Raven wasn't going to feed the depression with cynical truths, so silence was her only easy option. The quiet had a calming effect on the red-head, and Raven felt relief flutter through her chest.

There was something very comfortable about holding Chelsea like that, like it was just right. Raven closed her eyes, leaning her face down so her cheek was resting on the top of Chelsea's head. With her hands pressed so tightly around her best friend, Raven could feel each strong pound of Chelsea's heart; it was racing a bit too fast still.

"Rae, what if it's genetic?"

Raven furrowed her eyebrows, "What?"

"What if I can't keep a relationship together? What if I'm predisposed to mess up the people I love?"

"That's not possible, Chels."

"I'm going to end up pushing everyone who cares about me away. I just know it." Chelsea moaned quietly.

"Chelsea Daniels, you listen to me right now." Raven's voice lost the soft edge she had been previously been using, now sharp. "You will meet some great person someday and you will fall in love and you will get married. Your marriage will work if you want it to. You can't let your parents dictate your life."

"What if I end up alone?" Chelsea snuffled, "I'll be thirty years old and an old maid, the laughing stock of my life."

"Chels, if you turn thirty and you don't have that special someone in your life, I'll marry you." Raven promised. "And you know with me as your wife, it would last forever. You ain't getting' rid of me."

Chelsea rubbed her nose with her fingers, wishing her face didn't look so unbecoming after she'd wept. "Do you mean that? You promise?"

"Totally, girl." Raven kissed her cheek. "I, Raven Lydia Baxter, promise to you, Chelsea Ophelia Daniels, that come your thirtieth birthday, given that there is no significant other in your life, will get down on one knee and propose, so that we might spend the rest of our lives together, officially."

Chelsea returned the cheek-peck, "I accept."

Raven opened her arms once more, "Hugs?"

"Hugs." Chelsea responded, throwing herself into Raven's embrace. A real smile swept across her face. "You always know how to cheer me up."

The rest of the evening was spent keeping Chelsea's spirits up. Raven carefully avoided any talk that would remind Chelsea of the upcoming divorce -- which Chelsea didn't notice, but would have appreciated. When dinnertime rolled around, Chelsea got to her feet to go.

"I should go. Family game night…" Her voice trailed off.

Jumping in to save the day, Raven shook her head, "No, girl, we're going to dinner and a movie, and that's that."

As they piled down the stairs, Raven hollered to her parents that she was going out, and to not wait up. Upon receiving the usual response ("Just be safe and keep your cell phone on!") she grabbed the keys to the family car and tugged Chelsea outside. They drove in silence, each having very different thoughts.

Chelsea couldn't help but let her thoughts bounce right back to her parents. They had been incredibly vague about why it was happening, allowing Chelsea's overactive imagination to fill in all the gaps. She'd only heard them argue about once in her lifetime, at least over something serious, but that had been years ago and they'd fixed their relationship to all outward appearances. The divorce felt like it came out of the blue and it left Chelsea feeling like she was out to sea with no life raft, nor even a chunk of floating wood to stay afloat with. She could only hope that it had nothing to do with her; though both of her parents had tried to assure her that it hadn't, she could never be sure unless she knew the real reason.

Raven, on the other hand, had been deep in thought about her promise. How would it be, she wondered idly, to spend the rest of her life with Chelsea? She loved her best friend dearly, but had no idea how she'd feel when they turned thirty. Would that friendship still exist even? And if it did, what if she had found someone in her life already? Her heart both thumped madly and dropped in her chest at that -- Would Chelsea still mean more to her than some guy? She let out the breath that she'd had trapped in her lungs slowly so that Chelsea wouldn't notice her behavior. Her hand went to the gear shift, sliding from drive to park.

Conversation finally restarted upon ordering a meal; Raven examined Chelsea's plate full of greens with a grimace.

"I still don't understand it. How can you go meatless?" Raven poked her fork into the greens. She withdrew with an air of distaste.

Chelsea shrugged, enjoying her salad, "How can you eat your meat knowing that some poor, innocent little cow died for you?"

It was Raven's turn to shrug defensively. "Hey, if not me, the next guy. The cow's already dead. I'm just using his remains."

"I know." When Chelsea's response wasn't what she was looking for, Raven tilted her head curiously.

"You know? So why do you insist on eating the green junk?"

"Well, truth is… It's just a lot healthier for your body. Eating red meat so often just isn't good for you. I'm more worried about my health than about the animals."

Raven's eyebrows shot up in surprise, "I never knew that about you…"

"I still have plenty of personal details you don't know," Chelsea teased, taking another bite.

"And I still have plenty of years to ferret 'em out." Raven proclaimed, gnashing on her steak. "Tastes good!"

After dinner, Raven escorted her charge out to the car once again so they could head to the movie theater. Raven took her time driving; she could see Chelsea's eyes stuck to the starry night sky above them. Keeping her eyes on the road, Raven tightened her grip on the steering wheel. Perhaps Chelsea didn't know that Raven was purposely giving her more time to stargaze, and maybe Chelsea would never know how much Raven did just to see a dreamy smile drift across Chelsea's lips, but Raven didn't mind. She never did Chels favors for the thanks they might reciprocate.

During the movie, Raven slid her hand into Chelsea's, linking their fingers together. As the previews started, Raven grinned foolishly.

"This promise is so one I can keep."


	3. It'll Work Itself Out

I guess you can expect one update a week, perhaps two. I'm taking my time because I really want this to come out just the way I want it to.

Title: Old Maid

Chapter Three: It'll Work Itself Out

Pairing: Chrave (Chelsea/Raven)

Warnings: The obvious homosexual relationship between two consenting adults. Eventual sexual content.

-0-0-0-

Thirteen years later, eyes still watery, Chelsea shut the ring box. She cleared her throat a few times, the memories flooding back. On the other side of the table, Raven still couldn't bring herself to make eye contact. As the waiter cleared the dessert dishes from in front of them and brought the check, Raven reached for her purse. From Chelsea's reaction she decided to remove herself from the situation until both of them could function properly. Her actions were interrupted, however, when Chelsea found her voice again.

"Raven… you remembered, even all these years later." She managed to whisper.

"I, uh, yes… But like I was saying, I'll get you a gift that works."

Chelsea fingered the box, thinking about her life, and where she stood. "Rae… can I hold onto this?"

Raven let out a deep sigh -- a little louder than she had anticipated. Her foot was tapping anxiously under the table, but she pressed her hand against her knee to slow the jerking. Her head nodded slowly. "If you want…"

"It's not a no, Rae, or a yes right now." Chelsea put together her sentence slowly, eyes searching Raven's face. "I just want to see how this thing with Steve works out before committing, okay?"

As the blood started flowing normally through her body once more, Raven smiled weakly, "Yeah, of course. It's silly. How I'm feeling. I mean, it's not like…"

Curious as to why Raven's voice had faded off, Chelsea reached across the table and placed her hand on Raven's wrist. "Rae, like what?"

"I'm not some man who's totally in love with you, who would be completely broken if you said no. I'm your best friend who's offering lifelong companionship with a new title. You say no, we stay best friends for life anyways." Raven chuckled, "I got myself so worked up, when nothing would change either way."

"Yeah, best buds." Chelsea replied; she could tell, however, from the way Raven was speaking that there was more to it than Raven was playing it off as. She couldn't wonder long, though, as Raven grabbed her hand.

"Let's go! We're sproutin' roots, we've been here so long." Raven smiled and Chelsea knew it was genuine.

They hurried from the restaurant; Raven wasn't ready to drop Chelsea off at home, yet. She locked the doors and started the car, ignoring Chelsea's questions about what was going to happen next. Driving through the dark streets, Raven weaved in and out of traffic confidently, a silly grin on her face. As the car rolled to a stop for a red light, Raven peered in her mirrors before taking her eyes from the road.

"So, Chels, thirty years young. I'm so going to take you--"

Chelsea's ring tone sounded through the car, cutting Raven off. Smiling apologetically, Chelsea dug through her purse until her cell was out in her hands. It snapped open and she greeted her caller, a goofy grin on her face.

"Hey…" Chelsea twirled a piece of hair between her fingers and Raven rolled her eyes. Raven's mood was completely destroyed with that one word. The only person Chelsea would go so gah-gah for on the phone would have to be Steve -- the one man keeping them from a happily ever after. "Yeah, I'm just out with Rae… We had dinner… Tomorrow? Are you sure? That would be great! I'll call you at, like, noon?"

Raven tuned the rest of the conversation out, trying to keep her temper in check. As Chelsea chattered, she tried to take a small inventory of her emotions. It was confusing to her, to say the least. She loved Chelsea, in the way that only one best friend can totally adore another, and definitely wanted the best for her bud. It would kill her to maliciously hurt Chelsea, so why was she so intent on squashing the budding relationship with Steve? If she was a real best friend, she'd let Steve and Chelsea have their love, or their like, or whatever stage they were in. She'd fight this… this jealousy. It wouldn't win.

That struck another chord within her: Jealousy? Where did that come from? In her thirty years of life, she hadn't felt an ounce of possessiveness over Chelsea's love life. Sure, she'd wanted the gal-pal time that boys stole from them, but she'd never felt the urge to just steal Chelsea away from any breathing man or woman, to be just with her.

"Bye…" Chelsea hung up and sighed quietly. "Um, what were you saying before?"

Raven swallowed awkwardly, "I'm so going to take you home, that's all. Sounds like you've got a big day tomorrow with… Steve?"

"Yeah, Stevie. He's taking me to the zoo." Chelsea gushed, holding the phone as if she thought it was Steve..

"I thought you hated the zoo?" Raven was in a state of semi-shock, "What happened to all the fire over the cages being too small, the animals ripped from their homes, the horror of it all?"

"Well, I… You know… It's just one visit… Steve has a season pass and all…" Chelsea fumbled. "It's just a date, that's all. He's paying, so I'm not technically supporting the suppression of all the animals…"

Raven found her way to Chelsea's house, tipping the scale in her back and forth between being friendly about this, or cold. She ended up on the friendly side, so she smiled warmly at Chelsea and got out of the car to walk Chelsea to the door. The night air was crisp, but not entirely uncomfortable. They paused in Chelsea's doorway.

"Raven, thanks for a great time tonight." Chelsea put one hand on the door handle, yet seemed reluctant to leave.

Nodding slowly, Raven took a deep breath. "I'm going to tell you something, Chels. I haven't really worked it out myself, so I don't know what's really going on with me, but we don't keep secrets."

"Do you want to come in?" Chelsea asked.

"Yes. I think that would be… good." Raven summoned her courage, and her thoughts, and entered Chelsea's home. Sidestepping Prince Albert, Raven went to the living room while Chelsea let the jumpy dog outside once more. Ten minutes passed before Chelsea finally had everything together in the house and fell down onto the sofa next to Raven. Their eyes met briefly.

"Chels, I'm feeling a lot of whack stuff right now." Raven started, eyes darting to the floor. "I'm… I'm jealous of Steve."

Chelsea cocked her head, "Why Steve? He's just a man, not my best friend."

"I didn't say I understood it, Chelsea, just that I'm feeling it. I'm jealous that you're seeing someone. I've never been like this before, ever. I've always been able to share. But now…"

Laying her head on the couch, Chelsea took it all in. "Rae, I think this popping the question thing has gotten under your skin. You were fully prepared to make a commitment tonight, which I really appreciate by the way. I bet it's just your mind, I don't know, still thinking about being married."

Raven shrugged, feeling a little shut down, "You're probably right. You should have fun with Steve, no pressure. Keep me in the loop, 'kay? Standard best friend details. And no unprotected sex."

Raven shook her finger at Chelsea playfully. Chelsea closed the distance between them in a tight hug. As Raven returned the embrace, Chelsea nuzzled her neck gratefully.

"You're the best friend I could have ever asked for."

Pulling away, Raven rubbed Chelsea's arm and got to her feet, "I'll let you get some sleep. Call me tomorrow?"

"Yeah." Chelsea walked her to the door, smiling softly. She was the luckiest girl in the world, she figured. A new loving boyfriend, an awesome best friend, a good career. It was great.

In the doorway, Raven paused for a moment, considered her options, and leaned forward. Her kiss hit Chelsea's astonished lips for a split second before Raven drew back. When she was out the door, Raven hurried to her car, not willing to look back and gauge Chelsea's reaction. She drove a couple of streets away and cut the engine.

Maybe… maybe Chelsea was right about her jealousy. But on the other hand, Raven had her doubts. She strongly suspected that her emotions were playing a very confusing game, one that she wanted to win quite desperately. While Chelsea had been unlucky playing the field since leaving high school, Raven was the opposite; she'd been out and about with all sorts of men. It wasn't that she was easy, or promiscuous, but she knew how to have a good time. Yet all of it seemed so meaningless now that Chelsea was an option.

But Chelsea had Steve, and Raven was determined to keep her opinions about the man to herself, even if she disliked him. If he could get Chelsea to go to a zoo, he must be good for something, right?


	4. If You Can't Beat 'Em

…Ok, so I suck at updating right now, and I apologize. I'm hoping life will settle back down in a few weeks or something. Sorry. And this turned into a crossover with the L Word…

Title: Old Maid

Chapter Four: If You Can't Beat 'Em… Leave 'Em?

Pairing: Chrave (Chelsea/Raven)

Warnings: The obvious homosexual relationship between two consenting adults. Eventual sexual content.

-0-0-0-

Raven was sitting at her desk, twirling a pen on her fingers, when the vision hit. Her mouth gaped slightly, just as it used to do when she was younger, and her eyes glazed over. Luckily, there was nobody around to see her.

"_Miss Baxter! Welcome to Los Angeles!" Raven stood on the street (where was she again?) and gazed around. Her guide – a blonde woman with a hurried smile – tugged her arm. "Come on, Miss Baxter. I was told to show you your new office space. There will be time to sightsee later. This is, after all, your new home."_

She blinked and let out the breath she'd been holding. Before she could catch up to her racing mind, her phone rang and she reached for it out of pure instinct. "Raven Baxter."

"Hey, Rae!"

"Chelsea, what up?" Raven pushed her vision aside for the moment, relaxing her muscles and easing back in her chair.

"You wanted a call from me. All the dirty details, right?"

"Of course!" Although she managed to keep her tone even, Raven was anything but excited to hear the details. She could picture Chelsea's broad smile, the kind that reached and warmed Chelsea's already welcoming eyes.

Chelsea was, indeed, smiling. She was perched on the edge of her desk, twisting her finger through the phone cord. "It was wonderful, Rae. I… I'm really happy with Steve."

Raven swallowed awkwardly, "That's great, girl!"

There was an odd pressure at the base of her throat, and it was rapidly spreading across her chest and up to her face. It was hard to breathe properly, but Raven ignored her physical reaction to the news. She had no right, in her opinion, to feel this way. It was Chelsea's life and Chelsea's choice. They'd be best friends for life, she reminded herself.

"We saw, like, all the animals at the zoo. It took us life four and a half hours, but he wanted to make sure my one trip to the zoo was worth it. The elephants were so cute!"

"I don't know," Raven turned her attention to the calendar on her desk. She grabbed a pen and doodled spirals in the small section reserved for notes. "Elephants got some bad skin. All those wrinkles."

"We were in the petting zoo, too." Chelsea gushed. "Next to the goats… and he kissed me."

Raven dropped the pen. "He kissed you?"

Chelsea sighed deeply, "And it was wonderful."

"Tell me all about it!" Feigning interest, Raven resumed her doodling.

"Rae, is something wrong?" Though Raven was attempting to sound excited, Chelsea had heard that tone before. She'd heard Raven use it on men she wanted to get rid of.

"No, girl!" Raven looked around for a lie, biting her lower lip. "Work's just pilin' up, is all."

"Oh…" Chelsea trailed off, "Well why don't we catch up after work? I'm sorry for distracting you."

Raven sighed, realizing how she must be coming across, "Naw, girl, I'm sorry. I should be giving you the attention you deserve. But after work would be better, I think. Would you wanna get some Chinese takeout with me?"

"Sounds great! You're done at like five, right?" Chelsea clarified before giggling, "I have so much to tell you!"

"That's awesome, but I should get back to work," Raven apologized, though she wasn't sorry. When the phone hit the cradle, she sighed and rubbed her forehead with one hand. This whole thing was getting blown way out of proportion. Chelsea was her best friend, and that was all that she would ever be. Perhaps what she needed was a break from San Francisco.

"What was my vision about," she whispered, picking at one of her nails idly. She was in Los Angeles for some reason – was it recent? Or like years later? Shaking her head, Raven turned her attention back to her work load. There were designs to, well, design.

At four thirty, her work was interrupted once again as another phone call startled her. She answered the phone, half distracted by a dress she was sketching.

"Raven Baxter."

"Good afternoon, Miss Baxter."

The female voice on the phone was unfamiliar, which caused Raven to set her pencil down. "You seem to have me at a disadvantage… Who may I ask is calling?"

"Oh!" The voice cut off a moment, and Raven could hear people in the background asking her caller a question. "I'm sorry. This is Tina Kennard with Shaylyn Studios."

Slightly confused, Raven switched the phone from her right ear to her left, "Nice to meet you."

"I'm calling because Shaylyn's senior costume designer recently retired and we're now looking for qualified designers to fill the vacancy. I've seen some of your work in magazines and my superiors wanted me to give you a call. Would you be interested?"

"What would this entail?" Raven stared at her office as she spoke, wondering if she'd be willing to give up all she'd worked for.

"Well, starter pay is in the double digits, but I'm sure that you'd get a pay raise depending on which movies you design for." Tina rambled, mind obviously somewhere else. She focused again, though, and continued to talk, "You'd need to move to Los Angeles, if you were take up the permanent post."

"When do you need my decision by?" Raven questioned, mind whirling back to her vision.

"As soon as possible."

"Can I call you back later tonight?"

The phone fuzzed over a moment with static, but Tina's voice came through again, "Yes, that would be great."

The two chatted a few minutes later, with Raven scribbling down details and Tina's cell phone number, and a polite good bye. Nerves buzzing, Raven stared at her notes. The job sounded so… ideal. So perfect.

She glanced at the clock and jumped to her feet. It was two minutes after five o'clock and Chelsea would be waiting in the lobby. She bit her lower lip, tucking the notes into her back pocket; if Chelsea was truly happy with Steve, she'd make the move. Make it a clean break at first – Chelsea would understand later. But if there was any doubt in her mind about the relationship, she'd stay and make sure that Chelsea had someone to talk to or cry upon.

As she predicted, Chelsea was waiting for her, a jean jacket tossed over one arm. "What took you so long, slow poke?"

Raven merely smiled in response. "Shall we?"

It was a relatively short walk to the nearest Chinese restaurant, and it was one that Raven was 

particularly fond of and loyal to. In her mind she had to question if she'd find such great comfort food in L.A. Chelsea chattered beside her about inconsequential things, which came as a relaxant to Raven. No matter how confused she felt, hearing Chelsea's voice soothed her.

When they reached Raven's apartment, they settled down on the couch, turning on some jazz music for background noise. Chelsea kicked her shoes off and put her feet on the table with a contented smile. Raven didn't bother to knock her feet away, like she normally would.

"So, spill!" Raven squealed, wincing internally at her fake enthusiasm.

Chelsea slurped a noodle and sighed wistfully. "He is just… the most amazing man I've ever met. Steve is just so, I don't know, ideal."

Raven smiled; while she didn't quite understand her dislike for a man she hadn't met before, he obviously did bring Chelsea joy. "So… think it's love?"

Blushing, Chelsea ducked her head and took a big mouthful of food. Raven was patient, however, and knew that if she waited long enough, Chelsea would burst. The silence lasted all of twenty seconds. Chelsea swallowed awkwardly and coughed once before bubbling over.

"I hope so."

A sudden sadness slid under Raven's skin, but she pushed it away until later. "I hope so, too."

Later, when Chelsea had left to take care of her dog, Raven pulled her phone out. She dialed quickly, like ripping a bandage off.

"Hi, Tina? It's Raven Baxter. I'll take the job."


	5. New Beginnings

So balancing college and writing is harder than I thought it would be. So shoot me.

Title: Old Maid

Chapter Five: New Beginnings

Pairing: Chrave (Chelsea/Raven)

Warnings: The obvious homosexual relationship between two consenting adults. Eventual sexual content.

-0-0-0-

It was a relatively short drive from San Francisco to L.A. and Raven used it for silent contemplation. Her quiet was broken only by the occasional honk or burst of early morning traffic. In the hopes of making a clean break, her cell phone was turned off beside her and she was determined to get settled into her new home before she touched it again.

Her mind floated aimlessly as she effortlessly changed lanes and avoided the slower traffic. What would Chelsea think when she found the note? Not wanting to just leave Chelsea with nothing, Raven had taped a note to her own fridge, confident that Chelsea would go looking for her and find it. It was short and almost impersonal, but then again, Raven was trying to make a clean break.

The cars around came to a sudden halt and she jammed on her brakes, glaring as far down the highway as she could see; vaguely, in the distance, she could see the flashing red and blue lights of a cop car and the blinking yellow of a tow-truck. _Just great, _she thought sarcastically. Her eyes darted to her phone.

"Come on, Baxter." Raven chided herself, "Don't do it. You can make it."

The phone stared at her woefully. She turned her eyes to the black Ford in front of her, staring intently at the license plate. Her hands tightened around the wheel. The silence and stillness was beginning to eat away at her. Slamming a hand on the wheel (avoiding the horn) she reached for her phone and was about to turn it on, when the car behind her honked.

She glanced up in time to notice that the cars around her were zooming past once more and she was now holding up traffic. The phone was thrown into the backseat – out of sight out of mind – and she jammed her foot onto the accelerator. It took another thirty minutes of fast driving, but she made it into the city.

Pausing at a red light, she rifled through the papers on the passenger side seat and pulled out the directions to her new apartment. The streets seemed fairly straight forward, but in cities driving was never easy. She came to the street her new home was on, but it was a one way going to the opposite direction, so she went up one street and tried to get around, but hit construction. She took another turn, keeping her ultimate destination in the forefront of her mind. Thankfully her inner sense of direction did not fail her – she eventually pulled into the parking garage and parked her car in an open spot. Her doors locked automatically with one click of her keys, and she found the elevator. Third floor, second door on the left. The key fit perfectly and she was home. Or what would become home, she hoped, very soon.

The apartment was already furnished – she didn't want to haul all her belongings to and fro, so she had specifically scouted for a place that came with all the furniture she would need. She wouldn't sell the place in San Francisco for a while, in case things went sour in L.A. It didn't take long to get settled in, either. Just a quick stop in the bathroom to fix her makeup and refresh herself was all it took.

The kitchen was pre-stocked, at least initially, by the company that had hired her, as a welcoming gift. Raven went to the fridge and searched inside for a cold water bottle. She took a sip before realizing that she had left her phone down in the garage. As she pulled the door open to leave, she was halted by the woman from her vision.

"Oh!" Tina paused mid-knock and smiled. "Hello."

Raven returned the smile, the cell phone once more forgotten. "Hi. You must be Tina Kennard."

"And you must be Raven Baxter." Raven nodded and Tina waved her out into the hallway. "Care to take a walk?"

Shrugging, Raven agreed, if only to do something other than loaf about her apartment. They hit the streets, sidestepping unaware pedestrians as they walked to Tina's car.

"Miss Baxter!" Tina proclaimed, spreading her arms, "Welcome to Los Angeles! Come on, Miss Baxter. I was told to show you your new office space. There will be time to sightsee later. This is, after all, your new home."

Raven stepped into the car, a little anxious about her new office – her new life in Los Angeles. The only person she knew there was Tina, and they didn't seem to be on a first name basis even. She rubbed one hand on her forehead, wondering if this was a mistake.

"So, do you know anybody in the city?" Tina began her drive, breaking the silence.

Shaking her head, Raven pulled on the hem of her shirt, "Not yet."

Undeterred by Raven's demure quiet, Tina pushed onwards, "If you want, you can come with to the Planet tonight with my friends and me. There'll be some live music and it's a good time."

"The Planet?" Raven questioned. Her loud personality was struggling back to the surface; it had been thoroughly cowed into submission by the thought a new city and a new job, and nothing familiar. But partying was universal.

"My sister-in-law owns it." Tina clarified. "It's a café by day, club by night."

"Sounds like fun." Raven nodded slowly, "That would actually be really great."

Tina smiled at her, more relaxed now. "You can meet my wife, and the gang."

Raven did a mental double take, but showed none of her emotions on her face. "I'm sorry, I thought…"

"I was married to a man," Tina chuckled, "I get that a lot."

"I keep forgetting it's legal now." Raven joined in on the awkward laughter with a dry laugh. "When was the wedding?

"We've been together, on and off, but mostly on, for around ten years now, but we officially tied the knot last September." Tina took her left hand off the wheel to show her ring off to Raven.

Raven gave the appropriate oo's and ah's. "Dang, girl, that's a nice rock!"

Tina was about to respond, but something distracted her. She pointed out a tall building through the windshield. "This is where your official office will be. You won't be in there for very long, though. It's more of a formal place for your secretary to live in. Most of the time you'll be on the set working with the actors."

"Sounds great." Raven was a little tired of office work, truth be told. This would be a nice change of pace. "I could use a change."

"Well, I might as well let you meet your secretary." Tina pulled into a parallel parking spot. She shifted the car into park and unlocked the doors. "No time like the present."

Raven got out of the car, enjoying the warmth of the L.A. sun and the cool breeze. She waited as Tina moved around the car and followed the blonde into the building. Tina used a card to get in – Raven would get hers early next week – and hit the UP button on the elevator. They went up six floors then halted.

"All the way at the end of the hall," Tina pointed, "I'll let you explore a bit. If you don't mind, I've got a little business I should take care of while I'm here."

Raven nodded, and stepped out of the elevator. Tina gave a small wave as the doors shut, leaving Raven on her own. Taking a deep breath she edged down the hall and through a set of glass doors. A woman was perched behind a desk, a Bluetooth earpiece lodged in her ear.

"Miss Baxter is not in yet," the cheery voice of said woman chirped, her pencil skritching along a pad of lined paper, "I'll make sure she gets the message, and we'll set up a meeting as soon as possible. Thank you for calling!"

"Very efficient there." Raven stated, getting the other woman's attention. The woman perked her eyebrows up at the intrusion.

"Miss Baxter isn't in yet." She reiterated.

"I'm all up in here now." Raven joked.

"Miss Baxter?"

Raven broke into a wide smile, "You got it!"

The woman practically fell over the desk to shake Raven's hand. "Nice to meet you! I'm Jenna Evans, your secretary."

"You can call me Raven."

"And you can call me Jen." Jenna responded. After vigorously shaking Raven's hand, she scrambled back to her post. "You're not expected in for at least two days, to let you settle in, but we've already got a list of meetings lined up that we need to sit down and schedule soon. Do you have any free time in the near future?"

Raven nodded thoughtfully, "I can come in tomorrow, I think."

"That's perfect." Jenna wrote herself a quick note, "Time?"

"Let's say nine o'clock."

With their meeting made – and introductions over – Raven gave a short wave and went back to the elevator and headed back to the building's lobby. She waited there for about twenty minutes before Tina reappeared, looking overly flustered.

"I can't believe them! We ordered the classic pots, and they sent the modern set! We'll have to send them back, and now scene six will have to be moved to next Tuesday, which will set us back a week in production…"

Raven glanced at the cell phone on Tina's ear, and all was clarified. She walked with the still-distracted Tina out to the car, trying to mind her own business. This became hard, though, when Tina's cool broke and the petite woman practically screamed in frustration as she hung up the phone.

"I swear! One of these days I'll find a competent prop supplier." She fumed.

Raven chuckled, "That's too bad about those pots. Is it really going to set you back a week?"

"Four days, tops." Tina admitted, "But it's nice to make them sweat a little, since they're breaking my back."

"It's only fair," Raven agreed, "So… where to next?"

"We're running a little early, but I bet Shane'll be there. So the Planet. And it might be easier on you if you meet them one by one as they come in."

Raven nodded, "To the Planet!"


	6. One Size Fits All

Ok, so I know it's been a freakishly long time since I updated, and I apologize. I just haven't been in the right frame of mind to produce anything but slightly dejected poetry. But I reread the chapters and tried to remember what I was doing. I want this story done and I want it done right. I can't promise that it'll be finished soon, but it's in my head now once more.

As far as spoilers go, watch The L Word season 6, but ignore episode 5 and onwards with respect to Tina.

Title: Old Maid

Chapter Six: One Size Fits All

Pairing: Chrave (Chelsea/Raven)

Warnings: The obvious homosexual relationship between two consenting adults. Eventual sexual content.

-0-0-0-

Raven blew gently on her cup of coffee, enjoying the warm air embracing her face. Her drink had been on the house, a welcome gift from the cheerfully plump woman behind the bar. Tina's sister-in-law, or so she had been told. The coffee house itself was very clean and orderly, the decorations tasteful. Raven found that she liked the atmosphere and could picture herself returning on her own time.

Tina had been on her cell phone while Raven got coffee, but she tossed the small object into her purse and smiled, "Good?"

Raven nodded, "One of the best."

Leading Raven to a small table near the front of the shop, Tina waved cheerfully to a rather dark looking woman, who was to all appearances reading a newspaper. Her hair was cut short and styled wildly around her face; she had mastered the art of looking like she just got up, and making it look stylish. Her clothes were loose, as was her smile when Tina approached.

"Shane, this is Raven."

The other woman, Shane, reached out to shake Raven's hand. "New to L.A.?"

"Only for now. Give me a couple of days." Raven responded, taking an instant liking to Shane.

Shane twisted the paper in her hand and glanced at her watch. "You'll have the city down in a couple of minutes."

"Shane, why are you wearing that?" A new woman power-walked over and tugged on the loose sleeves of Shane's shirt possessively. Shane shrugged. Raven was set immediately on edge – while she had taken an instant like to Shane, this other person had managed to irritate her and possibly offend her new friend in less than ten words.

"Was clean. In my closet." She didn't seem too bothered by the intrusion, so Raven relaxed and watched the scene unfold.

"I thought I threw it away."

"You did, Jenny." Shane chuckled, grinning as Jenny scowled at her. Jenny's mood shifted suddenly, though, and she leaned down and gave Shane a peck on the lips.

"Well, I'll just throw it away again, then," Jenny glanced across the table, noticed Raven, but said nothing. "I have to go. I'm working on my new script, the one set in the museum downtown. I was going to go check out the pieces there for inspiration. Want to come?"

"I've gotta work in a few," Shane shook her head. "Sorry."

"Ah. Well." Jenny tugged once more on the shirt, kissed Shane again, and left.

Raven arched an eyebrow, "And that was…

Not allowing Shane to answer for herself, Tina answered, "Jenny Schechter, Shane's keeper."

"My girlfriend," Shane corrected.

Tina rolled her eyes. "Yeah, ok. She'll talk to you later, if she thinks you're worth her time."

Raven laughed, but neither of the other two women even snickered. Her laughter soon died as it became apparent they were serious.

"Oh."

Settling back with her coffee, Raven watched as one by one, more of Tina's group of friends filtered in. She was going to have a rough time of remembering who everybody was, at first, but she accepted her fate and tried to commit each face to memory.

"That's Alice," Shane pointed to a set of women walking very close together, "and her girlfriend Tasha."

Raven stared at them, making mental notes. Before she could greet them, though, Tina tapped on her elbow and pointed to another group of people coming towards them.

"From left to right… My wife Bette, with our daughter Angie, her sister Kit – you already met – and Kit's business partner Helena."

"Sure," Raven gave up and merely nodded her head in an agreeable fashion. "Works for me."

When everyone settled down around the table, with various drinks, papers, and snacks piled up around them, attention once more turned to the outsider at the table.

"So, Raven, where you from?" Alice asked, peering over the top of her newspaper. She was elbowed gently in the side by Tasha.

"San Francisco," Raven responded, "Born and raised."

"So, other than the job, why would you leave?"

Raven shrugged, casting her eyes to the floor. "Some personal stuff. Doesn't matter."

"Ex-boyfriend haunting you?" Shane locked eyes with Alice, and the two seemed to hold their breaths waiting on Raven's answer.

"No, nothing like that."

"So no boyfriend…" Alice pushed a little harder, ignoring Tasha's insistent tapping on her sides.

"I'm not sure what you want from me," Raven chuckled. She shrugged her shoulders, "I've been single for a while now, actually."

"What Alice is trying to ask," Tina responded, rolling her eyes, "is: are you a lesbian?"

"No," Raven responded. Alice slumped in her chair and Shane straightened her hand out towards the other woman.

"Pay up." Shane demanded.

Alice reached into her purse and pulled out a fist full of ones. "Take your dirty money."

"Gladly."

"Wait, wait, wait." Raven shook her hands in front of her. "What's that?"

"We had a bet," Alice clarified.

"Which I won," Shane tucked the bills into the front pocket of her t-shirt.

"Oh. Well, I mean, I left San Fran because of a woman, if that counts…" The table all at once fell quiet, and Raven scooted her chair back. "I should really get back to my apartment and get settled in. I'll see you all later, I guess." Tina moved as if to stand again, but Raven motioned her to remain seated. "I can find my own way. Nice to meet you all."

Raven didn't look back as she left the group of gossiping friends. They seemed like nice people, but she didn't quite feel like sharing her life story with a bunch of strangers. As she wandered around L.A., her mind wandered back to her abandoned cell phone. Perhaps now it was safe to check her messages. With her new mission in mind, and a bunch of new faces floating around her head, Raven hurried back to her apartment.


End file.
